Complaint volume
402 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2023 Tesla Model 3 Complaints
402 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Tesla Model 3, grouped by component category.
402 Total complaints
66 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
33 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are forward collision avoidance, steering, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 66 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 33 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 39 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 14,505 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, steering, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2023 Tesla Model 3?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2023 Tesla Model 3
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Tesla Model 3 complaints?
66 Crash
0 Fire
33 Injury
0 Fatality
53 Towed
25 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Tesla Model 3 complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 74
STEERING 49
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 20
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 14
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11
STRUCTURE 9
VISIBILITY/WIPER 9
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 8
402 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Once the main battery dies the 12 volt dies within 15 minutes. I ran out of charge on a dark highway. Put on my flashers and within 15 minutes the 12 volt died and so did my emergency flashers. Reason being is Tesla uses the 12 volt for the main battery temperature mgmt which draws a lot of power. So in turn once your main battery dies your emergency flashers only have 10-15 minutes of use This is very dangerous especially being disabled on the side of the road | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Repeated "phantom braking". With cruise control engaged and zero traffic in front of the vehicle, false readings on the collision detection system will cause strong, sudden, and unpredictable braking. Highly unsafe particularly in conditions where there is traffic behind the vehicle. In my first 900 miles of driving the vehicle there have been 20-25 of such incidents. When triggered, breaking force is strong and deceleration is sudden. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | AIR BAGS | The Occupant Classification System (OCS) in the passenger front seat has displayed an error multiple times and airbag turns on even when a toddler sits in seat. I’ve taken it to Tesla twice going a third time this week and have owned the car for three months. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | STEERING | The car lost power steering while driving | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Driving down the highway on a clear day with nothing in front of me, with adaptive cruise control turned on, the car suddenly started braking as if it was in full regen braking. I had to hit the accelerator pedal to override the braking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | SUSPENSION,WHEELS | Car at low mileage started having suspension issues and felt out of alignment. Took car to Goodyear where they found car was out of alignment as of car was not set up correctly at factory when made. Goodyear spend a few hours fixing alignment and tire setup. Car is having issues again | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | AIR BAGS | I was rear ended and pushed into the car in front of me. My car was totaled and no airbags went off. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ENGINE | The contact rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50-60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The Engine Lost Power message was displayed, instructing the contact to pull over immediately; unable to drive, exiting and re-entering the vehicle may restore operation. Following the directions, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to the destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 39,500 |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated after leaving the dealer for a previous issue with a locked steering wheel, the contact was driving 50 mph on an entrance ramp as he accelerated to merge onto the highway, the steering wheel seized to the right in non-autopilot mode causing the contact to crash into the guardrail on the right side. The contact injured his neck and received medical attention. The emergency respondent was not called, but the contact obtained a police report. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but remains unrepaired, and needed engineers' diagnosis and legal investigation by Tesla. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,798. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 1,798 |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I was pulling the car in to a parking lot in a mall. I was driving very slow to bring the car to a halt. All of a sudden the car just accelerated and went and hit a pillar right in front of the parking lot. I don't know what caused the vehicle to suddenly accelerate. I am pretty sure I did not step of the gas pedal. I checked the dashcam for recordings but couldn't find any. We have experienced this sudden unintended acceleration before on the road as well. I think I must have engaged auto-pilot or auto-steer by mistake which caused this. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Recent recall update makes auto pilot more dangerous and distracting. I am getting alerts while my hands are on the steering wheel and paying attention to the road, which then causes me to take my eyes off the road to see the alert. Which I then get kicked out of autopilot. Was using autopilot and got an alert the max speed was reduced due to road conditions and when I looked at the alert got another alert to pay attention to the road, then was immediately kicked out of autopilot. This is extremely dangerous especially if road conditions are deteriorating and to have to constantly be looking at all the new and frequent alert. The recent recall has made me constantly have to take my eyes off the road. I can even check my side view mirrors without getting a pay attention alert. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,LANE DEPARTURE | So thanks to YOUR interference my Autopilot on my Tesla is broken... You guys THINK you are making our cars safer by getting your controlling poorly educated stupid hands into Tesla systems that are DESIGNED TO BE MORE SAFE. On paper Tesla Autopilot is factually proven to be more safe than a human driver, these reports are publicly available perhaps your team was too lazy to read them. My car disengaged Autopilot randomly while driving with 2 cars behind me and freaked out and told me I was not paying enough attention to the road just because I reached to unlock my phone screen...not even pick it up off the wireless charging pad...just unlocked the screen. So thanks to YOUR agencies interference and forcing Tesla to levy this bogus "recall fix" on us I almost got rear-ended...in the car I work so hard to pay for, the car that I love because it keeps me and my family safe because guess what we are humans and not robots. Just as YOU do and everyone in your agency we ALL have to look at our phones briefly while driving because we live lives where we have to make sure those we love are ok or make sure our phone is charged for when we reach our destination. You are going to do exactly the opposite of your agencies supposed mission of keeping us safe. You will kill people with this stupid "recall". Get your crap together and tell Tesla to reverse Autopilot back to its normal safe operating parameters and STOP BANNING PEOPLE FROM AUTOPILOT otherwise there are going to be a lot more wrecks and deaths. I'm not saying you should be taking duck selfie pictures for social media with your phone while in Autopilot on a rural back road...that person deserves to be a victim of modern natural selection. But what your doing is over-controlling and you have no right to dabble in things you obviously don't understand. Your agency should be ashamed of itself, you are about as efficient as our government is at managing money...FIX IT BACK | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE | Subject: Safety Concerns Regarding Recent Model 3 Autopilot Update To Whom It May Concern at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to urgently express my concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model 3’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner, I have generally found the vehicle and its features to be reliable and safe. However, the recent update has introduced an overly stringent hands-on-wheel detection mechanism that is not only inconvenient but also potentially hazardous. The new update requires frequent and often forceful interaction with the steering wheel to assure the system of driver presence. This change is drastically different from my previous experience, where I received only one hands-on-wheel violation in two years. The current sensitivity of the system disrupts the smooth operation of the autopilot, leading to frequent and abrupt disengagements. I have found myself struggling to maintain the system’s activation, inadvertently causing the vehicle to exit autopilot mode multiple times. This issue goes beyond mere inconvenience; it actively detracts from driving safety. The need for constant and sometimes aggressive adjustments to satisfy the system’s requirements is distracting and can lead to erratic vehicle behavior. The irony is stark: a system designed to enhance driving safety and ease is now a source of potential danger and stress. The unpredictability and over-sensitivity of the updated system could lead to dangerous situations, especially on highways or in heavy traffic, where sudden disengagement of the autopilot can be particularly risky. As a driver, I now find myself more focused on keeping the autopilot engaged than on the actual driving conditions and surroundings, which is surely contrary to the feature’s intended purpose. Please fix this issue. It is bad for everyone. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Subject: Concerns Over NHTSA-Forced Changes to Tesla Model 3 Autopilot I am a Tesla Model 3 owner writing to express concerns about recent autopilot updates, seemingly implemented following NHTSA directives. These updates have significantly altered the system's operation, leading to potential safety risks. Previously, the autopilot required minimal, intuitive steering interaction. However, the new update, presumably in response to NHTSA's safety requirements, demands frequent and forceful steering inputs. This has caused abrupt and frequent accidental autopilot disengagements, a stark contrast to my earlier, safer experiences. It is extremely dangerous when it is not clear to the driver that the system has been disengaged and the nags from the system frequently cause accidental disengagements that don't always get noticed by the driver who is more focused on paying attention to the road than the screen. The heightened sensitivity of the system is not only inconvenient but hazardous. The need for constant, sometimes aggressive adjustments is distracting and can result in unpredictable vehicle behavior. Ironically, a system designed for safety is now a source of danger and stress. In heavy traffic or on highways, the risk of sudden autopilot disengagement has increased, diverting my attention from driving conditions to maintaining system engagement. This is contrary to the autopilot's intended purpose. I urge the NHTSA to reevaluate these changes. It appears the effort to enhance driver engagement has compromised the autopilot's operational safety. Modifications are essential to prevent potential accidents and ensure the system aids in driving safety, rather than detracting from it. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The most current "safety" recall software 2023.44.30 which made the autopilot more alert to the driver has made the car less safe. Before the update, autopilot would work as intended and kept the car safe in the lane. Now, even when doing everything correctly, I get nothing but alerts which takes my attention away from the road. The car was safer before the mandatory government update. Honestly not surprised that NHTSA made the car less safe. Let Tesla do what's best for their cars, they had it working great before you got involved. Thanks. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | SEAT BELTS | After Tesla upgraded their insurance driving behavior to raise rate when the driver side seat belt is not engaged; the car doesn’t warn the driver through visual or audio alert about driver side seat belt not engaged. The car clearly indicates if any of the passenger seat is not engaged; but not for driver side. I had driven for many miles until I realized seat belt was not engaged and car never alerted me. I have already created a service request with Tesla but I feel this is just not an isolated incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Autopilot now requires so much force to confirm you have your hands on the wheel it’s disengages causing rapid deceleration and steering into the other lane or shoulder. Also requires confirmation at times when the driver should be looking at mirrors when passing etc instead of watching the display. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent rear drive unit internal part failure in my new Tesla Model 3. The incident has left me fearful that this issue may occur again, and I am genuinely worried for my safety. I implore you and all the employees at Tesla to be honest and transparent about this defect or failure. The gravity of the situation became apparent when I realized how fortunate I was that the car did not come to a halt on the train tracks. The potential consequences could have been catastrophic, not only for myself but also for the passengers on the train. It is alarming to think that such a dangerous situation could arise in a vehicle that is merely five months old. This level of negligence is unacceptable. The rear drive unit failed and the car stopped. I was instructed to reset. I did it twice but still not working. I am lucky it happened on a not busy street and was able to steer the car to the side of the road before it became disabled. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | Ever since I purchased my 2023 Tesla model 3 I have periodically experienced a phenomenon widely referred to on the web as "phantom braking". Google it (though you probably already know about it). When it makes the biggest impression on me is when I am driving at over 50 MPH on an open highway and the car suddenly slows down, to the extent that it feels like someone is applying the brakes. Every time it happened in recent memory there were no cars in front of me for hundreds if not thousands of feet, which is why it's surprising because there has never been an apparent reason for the sudden deceleration. Instinctively, I look in the rear view mirror to see if anyone is behind me because if someone were relatively close behind me such a sudden slow down could, IMO, cause an accident - or at least alarm the other driver enough to slam on their brakes. Having read about phantom braking I believe that Tesla removed the traditional LIDAR (or equivalent) technology used by other car makers for adaptive speed control or a similar feature, and instead relies solely on cameras to make judgements. This decision, IMO, has led to a dangerous weakness in the reliability of Tesla's cruise control. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Autosteer was engaged while approaching Weatherford, OK on I40 - Sporadically, the vehicle slammed on the brakes, even though nothing was in front of me, and nothing was behind. The vehicle dropped in speed by almost 20 mph. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | WHEELS | Found wheel with 8000 miles with no damage form potholes or anything of the shorts to have a crack. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Summary: FSD malfunctioned, failed to disengage, causing loss of steering control, thus causing car to steer into wrong lane and resulting in an accident. Tesla Service Center refused to inspect unless car is fixed. Car was sent to Crash Champions ( autobody shop) and was quoted $35k to fix. Car was deemed as totaled by Tesla insurance. No response from fsdbeta@tesla.com I suspect that the latest FSD software update has caused my car to lose control. Time of incident: 19:28 pm Location : [XXX] , [XXX] Entering from [XXX] . Weather condition: Clear night, well lit. Low traffic. What happened:
My car has been driving in FSD on Lawrence Expressway and it was doing everything correctly. Approaching that upcoming tight bend, the FSD slowed down the car, and I took over by steering the steering wheel to the right to deactivate FSD and taking the tight turn, right before the white rows of triangles on the street. At this moment, the steering wheel forcibly turned to the opposite direction (i.e. left). I tried to correct the steering wheel by turning right even more, but the steering wheel wasn’t responding to my input for a split second. At this moment, my car is now on the wrong lane of Wildwood Ave and my car finally responded to my steering input. I had to swerve in the opposite direction to avoid the incoming traffic and ended up brushing against an SUV, followed by an impact on the curb, before finally slowing down. Seeing that there was incoming traffic from the back, I drove down to a residential street to park my car for safety reason. The SUV driver called the police to handle the situation, we had our information and testimonies recorded down. I have already followed the safe practices of driving with FSD according to the manual, but in this situation, I am not certain which technology is responsible for causing my car to override my manual steering input. This led to me to question the driver safety systems in this car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | STEERING | On 12-2-23, I started to feel my steering wheel getting stiff while driving.The car started to feel unsafe to drive as it was very difficult to steer to the point that I ended up being unable to turn and hit a curb on two occasions. On 12-3-23, I started getting alerts in my vehicle about traction control being disabled, automatic emergency braking unavailable, stability control disabled and that I needed to schedule a service center appointment. I dropped my vehicle off at a Tesla service center as I felt that the car was unsafe to drive because turning was very difficult. The service center diagnosed my car and indicated that my steering rack needed replacing along with a wheel alignment. It was not covered by my warranty as the service center believed that the issue was due to impact because of the curbs that I hit. However, these issues occurred prior to the impact and the curb hits were a result of the failing steering rack. I purchased my vehicle on 6-17-23, and it was manufactured at the end of 05-23. My vehicle had 10k miles on it before the steering rack needed replacing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When using Cruise control the car will brake suddenly even when there is no obstacle in front. This happens often. The phantom braking can be dangerous if someone is following at freeway speeds and not expecting the car ahead to brake. Also, when using cruise control the windshield wipers are automatically placed on auto. The windshield wipers will then go on and off as the sunlight changes, when no precipitation is evident. We often have to pause cruise control because the windshield wipers will not stop. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | When I was trying to park my Tesla Model 3 car it suddenly accelerated and hit a parked car in front of me. I took the car to the repair shop and told them the situation. My reason for the accident didn’t make sense to them so I stated that I may have pressed accelerator instead of brakes but I know that I didn’t press the accelerator. My car has been at the repair shop since 10/14/2023. So, far no one from the Tesla Motors, Inc. came to investigate the claim. Even if they repair the car, I don’t feel comfortable driving the car due to the fact that unintended acceleration may repeat itself. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |